A Magical Greaser
by Switchblades and Sunsets
Summary: To Ponyboy, 1963 was supposed to be just another year of middle school, made all the more stressful because of his... inexplicable abilities that threaten to break free. Who knew problems from 30 years in the future would come to knock on his door? AU
1. An Unexpected Letter

**This is the first crossover I've EVER done, so please leave helpful feedback! **

**Anyway, this is a blend of the two books(s) I love to death... The Outsiders and the Harry Potter series. **

**Since the HP series and The Outsiders weren't exactly written in the same decade, the story will be set in the 1960s. Hey, Hogwarts is magical, right? Let's just say their whole community traveled back in time. ;)**

**Enough of all that rambling. On with the story...**

**And I own neither of these AMAZING books, obviously. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I stared at the official-looking letter in my hand, confused. It was so detailed... Right down to the room I shared with Sodapop.

_Mr. P. Curtis_

_The Shared Bedroom_

_8229 Tacoma Ave._

_Tulsa_

_Oklahoma_

"Mom! Dad! Come look at this..." I yelled.

My parents came in the room, along with Darry and Soda.

"What is it, Pony?" Mom asked patiently.

I said nothing, thrusting the letter into her hands. She looked as confused as I did, and also a little worried.

"Darrel, who...?" She looked towards my dad.

"I don't know... Why don't you open it and see? It's probably from the President, congratulating Pony for being so smart," He joked, ruffling my hair.

Everybody laughed, and Mom tore open the letter. I watched her expression as it went from shock to confusion to disbelief, then finally to worry. She whispered something to Dad, who immediately read the letter as well.

We were all silent for a few seconds.

"Well..." My dad finally said, slowly, " Someone around here sure knows how to pull a prank! And to put so much effort into it!" He laughed, but it seemed forced.

"Who's it from?" Darry asked curiously.

"It's a joke, Darry. Prank mail." My mom explained, with a slight edge to her voice.

"Yeah, but why's it for me?" I asked impatiently. "Can I see?"

"That was a mistake, Ponyboy. It was meant for your dad."

She was obviously not going to let me read the letter, and I didn't really care enough to argue. I simply shrugged, and went to my room to reread one of my books.

***

That night I couldn't sleep. The thought of the mysterious letter--- Even if it _was_ just junk mail--- Put my over-active imagination on overload. What if it was from the mental institution? What if Mom and Dad were going to send me there because of the weird things I could do, that they couldn't?

I tried to convince myself they were my parents, and wouldn't do something like that, but it was dark, and anything seemed possible at night.

There was only one thing to do: Find that letter and read it for myself, to make sure it _was_ just prank mail, nothing else. There was no other choice unless I wanted to spend the entire night letting my imagination get the better of me.

Slowly, to avoid creaking the bed and waking Soda, I got up, took a flashlight from the dresser table, and headed towards the box we kept all our mail in.

The letter seemed to pop out, apart from the rest. I told myself sternly that it was just because of how big it was, but somehow it didn't feel that way.

I sighed, wanting to get this over with and back into bed. I was tired from the game of football we played this morning, and there was school tomorrow.

I took the two pieces of paper out of the envelope, my heart pounding uncomfortably for a reason unknown. This is what I read.

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Mr. Curtis,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. Please specify in your owl whether you would like assistance in buying your equipment._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagal,_

_Deputy Headmistress_

There was, in fact, an actual piece of paper enclosed, with a whole list of things I'd supposedly "need", including stuff like black robes, a pointed hat, tons of books, protective gloves, a cloak, a cauldron, a telescope, brass scales, and a _wand_.

I could only stare. This was the most bizarre letter I'd ever seen in my life! If it _was_ junk mail, I wondered who would spend the time and energy to make up something like this and send it to _me_, of all people?!

But what if it _wasn't_? Was that what I was? A... Wizard?

**

* * *

**

Yes, I KNOW it's short... But I have no idea if anyone will even want me to continue... So, tell me what you think please! I'm sorry if you think it's horrible.

**~EternalBookworm823**


	2. Hagrid's Visit

**First of all, thank you for the reviews! They mean a lot to me. ****I still don't own either the Harry Potter series or The Outsiders. *sigh...***

**

* * *

**

Ponyboy's POV

I don't know how long I just stood there, staring at the letter. The world could have gone up in flames and I wouldn't have noticed. I wanted so badly to believe the letter was serious, that there really was a _school_ for kids like me.

I had always hidden the fact that I could do weird things sometimes. At first I had no idea how to control it, and my family worried, but after a few years I learned to keep the... Energy, or power, or whatever it was, inside of me until I was alone and could let it out.

No one knew the power was still inside me, all the time getting stronger. They had been so relieved that I was "cured" that I hadn't the heart to tell them otherwise.

But now... Now I knew there were others like me. Enough to form a school, even. If this was all true. And the letter sure looked real enough to me.

I reread the letter anxiously, wanting to know more about what to do. It said to "specify if you want assistance in buying your equipment". But how would I contact them?! An owl... What in the world would an _owl_ have to do with anything?! Where would I even _get_ one?!

I groaned and banged my head against the wall in frustration, forgetting I was in a house full of sleeping people.

"Ponyboy? What're ya doing up so late?"

I hadn't noticed Soda standing a few feet away from me, leaning on a table. He yawned.

"Shouldn't you be in bed? Whatcha looking at?"

I scrambled to hide the letter, but he already saw it. Well, if someone had to know, I'd rather it be Soda. At least he would be more understanding than Darry. Darry was seventeen, and just didn't get me.

I sighed. "Soda, you know how I used to be able to do... Weird stuff? Like, when you or Darry got the bigger piece of chocolate cake, I could make it float on to my plate without touching it?" I waited for him to respond, but continued when he said nothing. "Well, I can still do it. It's nothing to be scared of, it's actually pretty helpful sometimes. I always thought I was the only one though. Now I'm not so sure..."

"What do you mean, Pony?" Soda asked, and even in the limited light I could see his half excited, half scared expression.

"Just read it." I said quietly, and handed him the letter.

Soda read it slowly, struggling a bit with the harder words. When he finished, he looked at me, bewildered.

"But... Is it real? _Could_ it be real?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. I hope it is, though. And until I find out for sure it isn't, I'm going to try to contact them."

"How?" Soda asked curiously.

"I don't know..." I repeated in annoyance. Where would I get an owl?!

A thought suddenly occurred to me. I mean, if this letter came through the mail, the post office should know where it came from. I could send a reply, asking them what this was all about. And if no one replied... I would just try my best to forget about it.

I smiled. Finally, a solution. Now all there was left to do was write the letter.

"Come on, Soda. Let's get a bit more sleep. I've got an idea, but it's gotta wait 'til morning."

***

I woke up early the next day, excited to put my plan into action. I shook Soda until he got up, grumbling. I ignored him, and explained my plan quickly, while running around the house as quietly as I could without waking my parents or Darry. Where were the writing supplies when you needed them?!

After I _finally_ finding everything I needed, I rushed back to my room and carefully wrote my letter, with Soda watching interestedly.

_Dear Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagal,_

_Thank you for accepting me to your school. If it is available, help with buying equipment would be appreciated. About how much would everything cost? And how would I get there?_

_Sincerely,_

_Ponyboy Curtis_

I looked over the letter a couple times, and asked Soda to read it too. I didn't mention I had no idea where the school was, and how I'd get "help" with buying whatever it was I'd need.

"You know, you're real good at writing this stuff," Soda said unexpectedly.

I glanced at him, surprised.

"Nah, I just read too much."

"Whatever you say..." Soda muttered.

We decided to drop it off in the mail before going to school. I promised myself I'd forget all about it afterwards, and just continue living like I usually did. It would be hard, but I'd manage.

I couldn't concentrate at all in school that day. Nothing stuck in my head, and for the first time I understood what Soda kept complaining about. When something else is on your mind, you don't really care what "x" equals in -21=3(x+3).

A week passed uneventfully with no reply from the mysterious "school". I was starting to give up on it when we got an unexpected knock at our door.

"I'll get it." I said, standing up from the dinner table. I was sort of glad for the interruption--- Soda had declared he wanted to cook today.

"What, you don't like my purple meat loaf, Pony?" He asked, pretending to be hurt.

I grinned. "It's okay once you get past the purple part, but I can't _stand _the cabbage pie."

"Oh, just go get the door, Pony," Darry said irritably. He was in a bad mood today. His team had lost the football game.

I opened the door, and almost fell over from shock.

_There was a giant standing outside our house!_

"Ponyboy Curtis?" The giant said with a heavy accent, while looking at a long list in his hands.

I was... Speechless. I couldn't help but stare with my mouth wide open.

"Ponyboy, who is it?" Mom called from the other room. When I didn't answer, she came towards me, wiping her hands on her apron. Her smile disappeared instantly as soon as she saw the giant.

"What... Who are you?" She asked shakily.

"Rubeus Hagrid, at yer service, ma'am. But you can just call me Hagrid. I'm Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. I 'spect you got the letter? Yer son asked for assistance with buyin' his equipment, since you folks are muggles. Don't worry, Ponyboy's safe with us." He smiled a little at my name.

I couldn't believe my ears. _There really was a Hogwarts?! _I wanted to pinch myself to see whether I was just dreaming again.

My mom looked as completely shell-shocked as I felt.

"You mean... That letter... Was _real_?!?! Ponyboy's a... _Wizard_?!" Mom said faintly.

"Yes, ma'am. Why dont'cha sit down, and I'll explain everything." The giant--- _Hagrid's_ voice was surprisingly gentle.

By now the rest of my family were all here, their creative dinner completely forgotten. My dad looked half-amused, half-dazed. Soda looked kind of smug, and disbelief was written on Darry's face.

After Hagrid repeated for us to sit down a few more times, we all complied, and he started explaining everything.

"Well, as you all must know by now, yer son Ponyboy is in fact, a wizard. We've been keeping our eyes on him for a while now, and he has obvious magical talen'. Hogwarts is one of the best schools that teach magic, and I assure you folks he'll be properly taken care of there. Professor Dumbledore's the best wizard around. He'll need supplies--- We have a fund for students who can't, er, afford it, so don't worry about that. As you know from the letter, term starts September 1st. We've got transportation covered too, I'll tell Ponyboy about that later. Any questions?"

Silence. We all just stared at him, still too stunned to comprehend. Hagrid fidgeted a little, obviously uncomfortable.

"Well, if you think of anything later, yeh can ask me tomorrow. I'll pick Ponyboy up at 3:00, if that's okay with you?"

Dad nodded mutely.

"Well then, I'll be on my way. Thank yeh for yer time, and I'll see you tomorrow, Pony." He smiled at me warmly, and I responded with a half-grin.

As soon as he left, the whole house exploded with questions.

"Is he serious?!" (Darry)

"Ponyboy's really a wizard? Why am I not surprised?" (Soda)

"So this is how he did those weird little things back then?! Magic?" (Darry)

"This is... unbelievable..." (Mom)

"What did he call us? Muggles? What are those?!" (Dad)

"Is he _serious_?!" (Darry again)

I didn't know whether to scream or laugh or cry. I was really going to Hogwarts.

**

* * *

**

So how was that? Hopefully not bad? Review... Please? I've got a few stories I'm working on right now, so updates might be a teensy bit slow. School and homework doesn't help either. Sorry for that, but thanks for reading! :)


	3. Portkeys and New Discoveries

**Guys... If it's not too much to ask... Reviews would be great. Hardly got any on the last chapter, that's why this one took so long to get up. :'( So please, review?**

**Outsiders? Don't own. Harry Potter? Pffft, do you even have to ask?! **

**(Again, just to make it clear, this **_**does**_** take place in the 60s, but all the original characters from HP is here too. Please don't be mad at me because I couldn't think of a reason why this'd happen, except maybe because Hogwarts is magical and can do what it wants...)**

**On with the chapter...**

**Pony's POV**

* * *

Time couldn't possibly go much slower than this. Every tick tock of the clock seemed to drag on, and my imagination was spinning more wildly out of control than with every passing second. 3:00 didn't seem like it'd ever come.

Was this... _Hagrid_... Really going to come? Where would he even take me to buy that kind of stuff? What would Hogwarts be like? What would they think of me? _Was three o'clock never going to come?!?!_

"Pony, relax. Breathe..." Dad said with a grin. "You're fidgeting up a storm. Remember: That giant's here to take you shopping for school supplies, not to court. You're not confessing to murder here."

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying--- And failing--- to calm down.

"Ponyboy, you're making the light in here go on and off by itself." Darry said irritably from the other room. Amazingly, he didn't seem all that freaked out about it. You had to give him credit for that.

"Sorry." I said sheepishly. I'd never been this nervous in my whole life... the "magic" I'd kept under control for so long seemed to be leaking out of me.

Someone knocked on the door right then, and I jumped up with my heart in my throat. I'd already rushed to the door and opened it before anyone else stood up.

Hagrid was standing there, smiling down at me.

"Hi!" I said breathlessly. He was just so _big_!

"All right, Pony?" He said as a greeting, still smiling. "Ready ter go?"

He sure had a funny accent, I couldn't help thinking.

"Yeah, let's go!" I said excitedly, grabbing a backpack and rushing out the door.

Hagrid's ride was sure a strange one. It looked... Sort of like a Mustang's front half connected seamlessly with the back of a truck like our old Ford. I couldn't stop staring at it.

"Err, is something wrong with it? I was trying to make it look like the muggle cars everyone had 'round here... Special permission from Dumbledore. I don't think I did it quite right..."

He looked at me with a worried expression, and it became really hard to keep back laughter.

"Wow, what Soda and Steve wouldn't give to take a look at that car..." I mumbled in disbelief. Then I remembered something I'd been meaning to ask.

"What're muggles? You called my parents that yesterday..."

Hagrid laughed, a great booming sound. "Oh, I forgot yer new to all this. This has been a part of my job for a while, but I always seem to forget... Anyway, a muggle is what wizards call anyone who doesn't have any magic in 'em. Like everyone in yer family."

I thought about this for awhile. "So... I'm a wizard? Really?"

"For sure. And a mighty good one too, I can tell already." Hagrid's eyes twinkled. "Now, how 'bout we start moving before the sun sets, and I'll keep talking about it on the way?"

I nodded, excited to see the inside of the strange-looking car/truck. The amount of space in it was so unbelievable it was almost... Magical. It probably was...

On the way to who-knows-where, Hagrid told me things that felt like they belonged to the inside of a really amazing story. Dragons, phoenixes, and all those fantasy creatures were real; there was a talking hat that sorted new students into one of four different "houses"; Their bank was run by real live goblins; There was an evil wizard that was feared by all and called either "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" or simply "You-Know-Who".

He told me that this wizard---who he refused point-blank to say the name of--- killed hundreds of people, and only failed in killing one person. A boy named Harry Potter had somehow been able to rebound the spell back on to the caster. No one knew why that was. Harry was regarded a legend amongst everyone in the wizarding world.

The more Hagrid told me, the deeper I sank, clinging to every word. Everything was brand-new to me, and it was like _nothing_ was impossible in this world that I never even knew existed.

The car stopped unexpectedly at a deserted spot, which I recognised as still part of Tulsa.

"Hagrid..." I said uncertainly, "Why are we stopping here?"

"Well, Hogwarts is in Britain. Dumbledore's set up Portkeys at a lotta different places, this just happens to be one of 'em."

I nodded, pretending to understand. He chuckled, not fooled at all.

"Just follow me, Pony."

He started looking around for something--- He kept picking up useless stuff like empty cigarette packs and examining them like they were worth something. I was confused out of my mind.

Pretty soon, he said a loud "Aha!", looking gleefully at an old, wet newspaper like he'd found some sort of prize.

"Just put your hand on it... That's right. Now all that's left is waiting."

He lapsed into a comfortable silence, waiting for something confidently with his finger on the newspaper.

I started laughing uncontrollably. Either the whole world had gone insane or I had. I half-expected to be waken up by my parents from another crazy dream.

"Ponyboy." Hagrid said patiently. "Just wait for it."

I nodded, still trying unsuccessfully to keep back laughter.

Suddenly, I felt a jerking sensation somewhere in my stomach. The whole world started spinning so fast it was just a blur, and my feet were lifted off the ground.

It was over before I had a chance to be scared.

Once I was safely on the ground again, I asked shakily, "What--- In--- God's name--- Was _that_?!"

Hagrid chuckled. "That, Pony, was a Portkey. Don't worry," He reassured, "You'll catch up soon enough."

I would have said something, but all my words slipped away as I saw for the first time what the magical world was like.

It was, in one word, unbelievable.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley, Ponyboy."

**

* * *

**

XD Ooh, cliffie! Well, not really, but close enough.

**This fic is so fun to write... I hope it's just as fun to read.**

**R-E-V-I-E-W... 6 little letters that mean the world to me. XD**


	4. Diagon Alley

**First things first, thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming? ****Secondly, a few people have requested for ALL the greasers to have magical abilities, and I'll have to say no to that. It's just too unlikely, and I want this to be realistic. (As realistic as it can get, anyway.) Keep reading anyway?**

**But on the plus side, I've finally figured out how to make the 1960s/2000s switch plausible. =] And so I changed the summary.**

**Sorry for the wait!**

**I don't own either the Harry Potter series or The Outsiders.**

To say the place was unlike anywhere I've ever been before in my life was the biggest understatement possible. I couldn't even describe it. In short, it was... magical.

The strange thing was, out of all the bizarre things to think about, my mind kept reverting back to the crazy accents everyone had. I mean... It was like I was on a different planet. The sun was still shining, but it looked... different. People were speaking English, but it sounded like a foreign language.

Hagrid led me to one unbelievable shop after another, and by the time we arrived at an old, worn down shop with walls practically _lined_ with thin boxes, I thought I'd seen everything.

There was only one person in the store: An old man who looked like he'd been alive since dinosaurs roamed the Earth. He stared down at me without blinking, and I had to look away. I mean, I knew I looked different from everyone else around here, but was all the staring really necessary?

Finally, he spoke.

"Ponyboy Curtis. What an... interesting name. Let's see which wand will choose you, shall we?"

For some reason, it sounded like a well-rehearsed line.

He turned away and started looking around at the rows and rows of boxes, but not before I saw a spark of something like _pity_ in his wide, unblinking eyes. Before I could dwell on that, however, I realized something... _How had he known my name?_

I couldn't see what he was doing, and a few seconds later he faced me again, gravely holding out a smooth strip of wood like it was some sort of offering. He didn't say a word; just placed the wand in my hands expectantly.

The first thing I noticed when the wand touched my hand was that it was surprisingly _light_. As if it was made of something more special than just a piece of wood. And it felt almost... _alive_.

I smiled. This was much better than any switchblade could ever be.

I only held the wand for about five seconds before it was once again taken out of my hands.

"Well, everything seems to be in order. That's the one, all right. Congratulations," Ollivander said, with a quick nod. "Oak and phoenix feather. Ten inches, reasonably light and flexible. That'll be seven galleons, please."

A bit jumpy, I counted out seven of the big chunks of gold that Hagrid had given me (After countless times of reassurance that no, my parents wouldn't have to repay it.) and handed it to the old shopkeeper.

As Hagrid and I headed back to the place where the portkey used to be. The newspaper was nowhere in sight, but in its place was a half-empty glass bottle. I'd learned enough about the wizarding world today that I wasn't surprised when Hagrid told me to put my finger on it again. As we waited, I asked a question I'd been wanting to know the answer to this whole day.

"Hagrid... Where is this, exactly?"

He looked at me with a look strangely similar to that of Ollivander's, then sighed.

"I've got a letter that'll explain everything, Pony. I'll give it to yeh as soon as we get back to-"

"But everyone talks differently than I do here... Can't you just tell me right now?" I interrupted.

He glared at me, which was more scary than Dally when he was drunk.

"On second thought..." I muttered, backtracking, "I'll just be patient."

Hagrid seemed to relax, and said, "Yeah, it's better that way. I won't be able to explain it right."

And on that confusing note, the portkey activated, wrenching me back to the city of Tulsa, where my family and the gang waited for me to explain everything.

_That's_ gonna take a while_, _I thought, tired already.

XXX

An hour and a half later, I was still doing my best to answer every single one of the millions of questions everyone seemed to have. Every time one person's curiosity was temporarily satisfied, someone else had a new question.

"So what are you gonna learn?" Darry asked eagerly. Before I even had a chance to say _I have no idea_, Two-Bit interrupted me.

"Are you seriously going to wear _robes_ all day long?"

I had to crack a smile at that one. "Yeah, apparently."

"Where's the school, again?" Mom asked, still looking worried.

I sighed, shaking my head, and handing her the extremely long letter Hagrid had given me. It was written so formally that making sense of much more than basic sentences was next to impossible. The letter didn't actually say where the school was, so as far as I knew, it could be on Mars.

As she read, I said, "He never told me. They all had funny accents though, so I'm sure it's not anywhere close to this place." Hopefully they wouldn't care about me being a greaser at that place where everyone was essentially, different from normal people.

"They're saying you're supposed to meet this "Professor Albus Dumbledore" person on September the 1st. And that he'll "provide all necessary transportation to and from the school"," my mom frowned, putting down the letter. "That name sounds more a clown's than a teacher's."

And that's when I started laughing, not even attempting to stop when my stomach started to hurt. Everything that had happened the past few days suddenly seemed to register in my brain.

_I was going to a school called "Hogwarts" to learn how to use magic, and I had no idea what it would be like at _all.

I looked up for a split second to see them all backing away from me slowly, as though they thought I might make the house crash over them all from laughing.

And that just made me laugh all the harder.

September 1st couldn't possibly come quickly enough.

**

* * *

**

**It's short, I know, but ending it there just felt _right_. Thanks for reading, and I really hope you'll review too. =]**


	5. Cornered

**So, uh, I felt like updating. For the first time in, *checks*, more than two months. Ahh! I'm so very sorry about that... **

**I don't own either HP or the Outsiders. This chapter is mostly to do with the Outsiders characters, though. Just a heads-up.**

* * *

The next couple of weeks felt like all but a dream. Not a single morning did I wake up _not_ wondering whether or not everything that had happened recently was real. Only after rereading both of those letters with the thick, coarser than normal paper with the fancy writing would I start to believe that I hadn't simply imagined everything.

Then again, maybe I did, and today was just another part of the extended fantasy. If it was, though, I'd rather not wake up.

So I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, fighting for a few more minutes of sleep. Just as I almost succeeded...

"Up and at' em, Pony!" a cheerful voice said loudly. I heard curtains being pulled apart and too-bright sunlight hit me square in the eyes. "The birds are singing and the sun is up and all that good stuff... All that's missing is us, outside to enjoy it all. I mean, what's summer if you stay cooped up inside all day?"

How much more happy-go-lucky could a guy get?

"Soda," I groaned, annoyed enough that my unruly "powers" made the curtains fly back together. Boy, it sure felt good not to have to hide these things anymore. "Cut it out."

"Well, I think you managed to do that well enough without my help..." Soda said, and I finally opened my eyes, grinning. He had an amused expression on his face, one eyebrow slightly higher than the other.

_He has still yet to master than trick from Two-Bit_, I thought. _He's definitely gettin' it, though._

I sighed, a faint smile still on my face, and accepted the inevitable, getting up. I pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of Soda's old cut-off jeans, thinking that soon, very soon, I wouldn't be wearing these clothes anymore.

I thought vaguely that maybe I should start practicing- wearing one of Mom's bathrobes around the house all day to get used to the idea.

Chuckling aloud at the idea, I looked at the calendar again, and there was a nervous-yet-excited jolt in my stomach.

"Well, here we are, your last day here before you go off to some mysterious, far-off boarding school place with a bunch of witches and wizards for the entire year! I hope you'll still be the same ol' Ponyboy when you get back," Soda said, wrinkling his nose a little.

"Not the whole year. I'll be back for the holidays," I said, and ran a comb through my hair without bothering with grease. Being a greaser wouldn't matter soon, anyway. At least I hoped that would be the case.

"Well, it sure will be different without you around all the time," Soda said, his tone a lot less cheery, "Darry'll miss having someone to be annoyed with, that's for sure." He grinned.

"Yep," I said, laughing, "he'll be just _miserable_ at finally having the perfect life. Perfect grades, perfect football, perfect brother, perfect _everything_."

It stopped being very funny near the end. I think Soda felt it too. We were both quiet for a second, then he said,

"Aw, you know Darry likes having you around as much as I do. He'll miss you a lot when you're gone. He just doesn't show stuff like that. You know him..."

Did I, though? Know him, I mean.

"Right," I said quietly, and went to wash my face and brush my teeth for breakfast.

After a heartier-than-usual breakfast, I was stuffed, and the whole family went out for a game of football. Well, Mom didn't play, she just watched and was on both teams, but the rest of us did. It was our first family outing in a long time.

It wasn't long after that before I realized that everyone- even Darry- was being extra-nice to me today, probably because it was my last day. To be honest, it felt pretty good to be in the spotlight for once. Even my dad was paying attention to me more than usual, and he usually reserves that attention for Darry.

There I go again, ruining a perfectly good mood. Maybe I _did_ need some time away from everyone I knew, from Tulsa even. Maybe that would solve my _other_ problem- the one that wasn't magical- of over-analyzing everything.

Later, after having a picnic lunch of Mom's famous secret-ingredient sandwiches (No one knew what she actually put in there, but I had a feeling that maybe I didn't really wanna know. The sandwiches tasted amazing, though, and that was what mattered.) , I got to choose what we did next and soon we were on our way to a local museum I've wanted to visit for a long while but never had the chance. Then after dinner, to the movies for a double-feature.

During the whole thing, I could tell that Soda was bored to death, but trying not to show it for my sake. I felt bad- these were things nobody else in my family except me enjoyed, and I was the only person having the slightest amount of fun.

As the first show at the theatre ended, I told the rest of them that they were free to go home. I could call someone to pick me up when the movie finished. It was no use making them stay here.

They all tried to hide their enthusiasm at the suggestion, and after countless instructions to be careful, I was finally left alone. I preferred it this way anyway... always have.

It was a lot easier to sink into the second movie without bored people beside me fidgeting every two seconds and whispering about the time. So the movie was over in a flash, and I was soon out of the theatre, at a pay phone, and remembering that I didn't have the slightest amount of money.

Yeah, I don't use my head.

I sighed, starting the long walk home while the sun slowly started to set around me. It was such a perfect place to watch the sunset that I forgot walking home very quickly, and just stood there and watched the colours until the sun had disappeared completely below the horizon.

It was only when it was almost completely dark when I remembered I still needed to get home, and it wasn't the best idea to be a greaser all alone outside when it was dark. It was worse to be the one greaser rumoured to be a freak of nature as well.

It wasn't like I would get jumped or anything, I encouraged myself without a lot of conviction. I was small for eleven and our only rivals- Socs- didn't usually jump kids that were more than a head shorter than them. It would be bad for their reputation, and wouldn't be much of a fight anyway.

But I was an exception. And my family and the gang knew this- that's why "being careful" was a lecture drilled into my head. I could recite my mom's version by heart- it was the one that never changed- but I could never remember when it mattered.

Sometimes I think I get why Steve and Darry don't really like me.

I still had about three and a half blocks to walk when they cornered me. Three tall, massive, and well-muscled Socs with strange expressions on their faces stepped out from an alleyway, seemingly waiting for me.

I backed up from them slowly, wanting to run but too afraid to even yell.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the greasy little freak we've all heard so many rumours about," one particularly tall one said, making my hair stand on end.

"Why don't we test to see if you really have the "magical abilities" your little friend was raving on about while drunk in a bar."

As if this was a cue, all three held out weapons- a switchblade, a piece of lead pipe, even a heater- and walked almost casually towards me. They held the weapons so loosely you'd think they were just pieces of garbage or something.

They grinned, looking like this was just a game to them. Subconsciously, I knew they wouldn't dare use anything. But my conscious brain was screaming "DANGER!" at me.

"Go ahead, grease. Use you so-called "powers" to get away. We're all watching."

**

* * *

**

Sorry for the cliffie, but I just couldn't resist. ;) Please review!


End file.
